07/03/2017
Justice Secretary Urged To Review Interpreter Contracts
Justice secretary Liz Truss has been urged to review how vital interpreter contracts are awarded and how they operate, following reports that Pearl Linguistics has gone into liquidation.
Unite the union is concerned that there is 'a race to the bottom' in an outsourcing contract culture that is adversely affecting those who require interpreting services when using the NHS or appearing in court.
Unite regional officer Andy Murray said: "What we have here is an example of a company, Pearl Linguistics that has gone into liquidation because, it appears, it was unable to operate in a contract culture even when underpinned by depressed wages.
"The cost-cutting across the sector is driving highly competent interpreters away from the profession as they can't afford to live on the wages on offer.
"The people that are going to suffer are those needing assistance when going to NHS appointments and those appearing in court."
Unite, which embraces the National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters (NUBSLI), said that interpreters, skilled in difficult languages and dialects, were being paid as little as £12-an-hour, while the NUBSLI recommended freelance rates for fully qualified interpreters in London are £260-a-day.
Unite has been taking legal advice about the possibility that interpreting agencies are abusing their dominant position in the marketplace.
Unite the union is concerned that there is 'a race to the bottom' in an outsourcing contract culture that is adversely affecting those who require interpreting services when using the NHS or appearing in court.
Unite regional officer Andy Murray said: "What we have here is an example of a company, Pearl Linguistics that has gone into liquidation because, it appears, it was unable to operate in a contract culture even when underpinned by depressed wages.
"The cost-cutting across the sector is driving highly competent interpreters away from the profession as they can't afford to live on the wages on offer.
"The people that are going to suffer are those needing assistance when going to NHS appointments and those appearing in court."
Unite, which embraces the National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters (NUBSLI), said that interpreters, skilled in difficult languages and dialects, were being paid as little as £12-an-hour, while the NUBSLI recommended freelance rates for fully qualified interpreters in London are £260-a-day.
Unite has been taking legal advice about the possibility that interpreting agencies are abusing their dominant position in the marketplace.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.